1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transplanting machine for drawing out, in a form of a row, potted seedlings grown in a continouous paper tube pot assembly and successively separating the row of potted seedlings into individual ones so as to successively plant the separated individual potted seedlings in a given field.
2. Description of Prior Art
It has been known to grow seedlings of plants such as beets, vegetables, or other garden products in a continuous paper tube pot assembly, to separate the continuous paper tube potted seedlings into individual potted seedlings, and to plant the separated individual potted seedlings in a given field. Here, the term "continuous paper tube pot assembly" is defined as a plurality of paper tube pots connected in series one after another in the form of a train and folded into a compact assembly.
A typical example of a continuous paper tube pot assembly is one developed by the present inventor in which a plurality of paper tube pots is connected in series through connecting portions, each of which is provided with a separation guide portion including a slit. Seedlings are grown in the continuous paper tube pot assembly and, in planting, the continuous paper tube pots are successively drawn out in the form of a row, and the drawn-out row of continuous potted seedlings is successively separated into individual potted seedlings which are successively planted in a given field.
A transplanting machine suitable for the above-mentioned planting of continuous paper tube potted seedlings is disclosed in such as Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 55-30805 (1980) and Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Sho 55-39700 (1980).
In such a conventional transplanting machine, the continuous paper tube potted seedlings are drawn out in the form of a row by a pair of rollers or a belt. The drawn-out row of potted seedlings is successively separated into individual paper tube potted seedlings by a pair of elastic, slantingly provided rollers or conical rollers rotated at a large peripheral speed which are positioned forward of the drawn-out row of potted seedlings, as a result of the speed difference between the first mentioned rollers or belt and the second mentioned rollers. After the separation, the individual paper tube potted seedlings are successively dropped through a chute into a previously formed groove and buried therein.
The above-mentioned transplanting machine provides very good transplanting when it is used for planting seedlings grown in elongated or slender paper tube pots, such as potted beet seedlings (usually grown in paper tube pots each having an inlet dimension of 1.9 cm and a height of about 10-13 cm), potted corn seedlings (usually grown in pots each having an inlet dimension of 3 cm and a height of 10 cm). However, the conventional transplanting machine has the drawback that is is difficult to form a proper slit at the above-mentioned separation guide portion. This results in a risk of faulty separation when the transplanting machine is used for transplanting potted seedlings grown in paper tube pots each having a large inner dimension relative to its height, such as potted vegetable seedlings (usually grown in paper tube pots each having an inlet dimension of about 3-5 cm and a height of about 5-7.5 cm).
The conventional transplanting machine has a further drawback in that it is necessary to clasp the potted seedling row by applying considerably strong pressing force to the opposite sides of the row in separating the potted seedlings, resulting in collapse of the soil about the root in each pot.
The conventional transplanting machine has a still further drawback in that since the separated individual potted seedlings are made to fall through a chute during planting, each potted seedling may be inverted in the chute because of the low height, thereby spoiling the planting.